Top 7- Best TV Shows of 2016
While I still hold the belief that it wasn't such a great year for films, this has been a fantastic year for TV. I'm not sure if it's due to my increased awareness of TV, the rise in quality streaming platforms (there are 7 entries here just from Netflix) or some unknown third factor but there are many shows on here that have never been talked about before on my blog. Some are new properties whereas others are just new discoveries but every show on here is worth a watch. As always with these lists, honourable mentions first.
Stranger Things Season 1
The 80's throwback that no one saw coming, Stranger Things was simply a delight. The soundtrack was great, the story intrigued and the young actors amazed by being actually good. Such an easy watch, you can (and probably will) do it in a day
It's Always Sunny in Philidelphia Season 11
TV's longest running show that no one watches, Always Sunny showed that shows can actually go on as long as they want as long as there is still genuine creativity involved. In a season that had a POV episode and took time to spoof a French philosopher, Always Sunny showed that they have no lack in creativity and may not for quite some time.
Daredevil Season 2
The most polarising season of the show yet, Daredevil Season 2 was for me, the best show Marvel have put on Netflix yet. More action, more legal intrigue and the introduction of the best character yet, The Punisher, make this season one to watch.
Better Call Saul Season 2
While not yet reaching the heights of Breaking Bad, its prequel series is still fantastic. There's hints of action but this is a character drama through and through and that's why it is so great that the characters we have are so interesting and well written.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 2
I'm just happy Tina Fey is back on TV, I will watch pretty much anything from here. Fortunately, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is never anything but an easy watch being a genuine ray of comedic sunshine in an era when comedy has become much darker. Plus, Titus Andromedon continues to be one of the greatest characters on TV.
The People VS O.J. Simpson
Ryan Murphy has done great job on the cheesy but wonderful Scream Queens but The People VS O.J. Simpson actually exceeds his usual "bad in a good way" wheelhouse to be one of the most compelling shows of the year, despite already knowing the verdict.
The Night Manager
One of the most stylish miniseries in years, The Night Manager did everything right. Tom Hiddleston is confident and sexy (earning the show the title of "The Sex Manager" from Britain's mums), Hugh Laurie is somehow a despicable figure and the shot composition, especially for a TV show, is perfect, every single time.
11.22.63
An underappreciated show, this Steven King adaptation gives James Franco the challenge of going back in time to stop the death of John F Kennedy. Sure, the ending underwhelms, but the rest of the show was a very entertaining and easy to watch thrill ride.
Fleabag Season 1
One of the more acclaimed shows of the year, Fleabag did the rare thing: had a rude female star who wasn't just disgusting for the sake of being disgusting. Yet another show that slides right into the tragic comedy trend that many of the shows on the list occupy, Fleabag was rude but also profound. Also, the bizarre cold open in episode two of passengers on the tube singing Sail isn't to be missed.
Atlanta Season 1
Atlanta is a drama/comedy by Donald Glover (my hero Troy from Community) about the rap community in Atlanta. It is also one of the more surreal shows of the year, featuring a black Justin Bieber (the character never address this), an invisible car and a black guy who thinks he's a middle aged white man. It doesn't hurt that the show is also incredibly funny.
That's all for the un-ranked shows, here are the ones I really fell in love with this year, complete with a number and more words.
7. Westworld Season 1
If you've been reading the blog for a while, you know that I just have no interest in Game of Thrones. What Westworld did that is so special is it took most of the tropes and techniques that GoT often uses but made me actually love them. This is a sprawling epic, only with sci-fi instead of fantasy and it will try and confuse you. There are times when you need to just take a step back and soak in what you've seen to be able to appreciate it. Moving past that though, what Westworld is is a show with one of the strongest ensembles on TV, a labyrinthine but ultimately rewarding plot and great twists on modern songs as the soundtrack. Get into it before it gets spoiled for you.
6. Lovesick Season 2
The interesting thing about Lovesick is that it has made one of my best of TV lists before in 2014, only back then, it was known as Scrotal Recall. I hadn't watched the first season when it made the list, the name was just incredible. Anyway, due to the name, many people didn't watch it, Channel 4 cancelled it, Netflix brought it back with a new name and it's amazing. The show manages to capture the difficulty of being young and having relationships, be they friends or partners, and how awful it is. The lines get crossed and it is often incredibly sad but it's also truly hilarious. I need another season of this show but with the 14 episodes we have now, there's a lot of joy to be had.
5. Preacher Season 1
It makes me angry how much Preacher has been widely overlooked this year because I think it's one of the strongest and most confident first seasons of a show I've ever seen. Preacher is a story of faith and supernatural elements in a small, God fearing town in America but it's also action packed, very gory and incredibly funny. Dominic Cooper shines as Jesse Custer, the Preacher with no faith, although he actually ends up being eclipsed by Joseph Gilgun's Cassidy, an Irish vampire who hates just about everything and everyone. If you've missed out on the adventures of Jesse, Tulip and Casidy, go back and watch them, ready for a second season that will hopefully raise the stakes even more than this one did.
4. House of Cards Season 4
House of Cards had a good third season but it felt like a stumble compared to the rest of show. With that in mind, it brings me great pleasure to say that season four could be the shows strongest one yet. Kevin Spacey continues to show that his role as Frank Underwood could be his defining one, even in a career as strong as his. It remains one of the greatest parts of the show, trying to work out if Frank is in total control or trying to see when he is really getting screwed over. Robin Wright is certainly putting in career best work here as the fantastic Claire Underwood, who this season had to cope with difficult family life, but Wright has also stepped up to directing and managed to create some of the greatest episodes of the season, maybe even the show. There were plenty of shocks this season, including the "return" of some beloved characters, but there was also a lot of in depth character development. My biggest worry is that with the loss of showrunner Beau Willimon, the show may not return to these heights.
3. Bojack Horseman Season 3
Since I accidentally discovered it three years ago, I have been a silent champion of Bojack Horseman, the most depressing comedy on TV. Season 2 dealt with a lot of depressing issues but this season went even deeper with Bojack on the awards circuit for the movie he always wanted to make. In the first three lines alone here, I've mentioned nothing but depression but the show genuinely can be so much more. Obviously, it's a comedy and it does that well, perfectly skewering the awards season that we are rattling towards right now. This season though, there was a real shock in an almost totally dialogue free episode that was a thing of genuine beauty and actually really moved me. Such is this show. It is incredibly original and very dark, examining depression better than any other show I've seen, but will still insist on having a host literally called "A Ryan Seacrest Type" and parodying Mad Max with spaghetti strainers
2. Black Mirror Season 3
With the amount of coverage I've given Black Mirror this year, it should not be remotely shocking to find Black Mirror so high up on my list. For a start, with this season, the number of episodes nearly doubled and more Black Mirror is a fantastic thing. On the note of number of episodes though, the raised amount of episodes to work with gave show creator Brooker (my absolute idol) much more space to play around with ideas, concepts and genres. Season 3 was a season where we had a Meow Meow Beens type episode, a haunted house thriller from director of the surprise delight 10 Cloverfield Lane and an episode that was neither futuristic, nor depressing. There were the lowest of lows (thematically, although this season also produced one of the shows weaker episodes) and the highest of highs, with San Junipero being one of my favourite single episodes of TV that I have ever seen. It's what makes Black Mirror great; there are episodes for everyone to love and with the batch that season 3 added, that has never been more true.
1. Planet Earth 2
Morally, this was the only answer for best show of the year, although it goes deeper than that. Planet Earth 2 is definitely the very best thing I watched all year. It captured this extreme and natural beauty of the world we live in, in ways that were new and exciting. I don't particularly like nature documentaries but each moment of each episode grabbed me. There was the swimming sloths, the alligator vs the jaguar and the already iconic racer snakes chasing the lizards, one of the greatest moments of TV that I have ever watched. This show also deserves major credit for proving that event television and the water cooler moments were not over, as many critics will tell you. Planet Earth 2 was a show you had to watch live because you had to talk about it with the rest of the nation. It was also a rare TV show that was actually nice waiting a week between episodes for. It made each episode special and that's ignoring how special they are anyway. Basically, if you didn't watch Planet Earth 2, you're a monster who wants the earth to die and you deserve that fate because it could be the greatest documentary ever made.
Stranger Things Season 1
The 80's throwback that no one saw coming, Stranger Things was simply a delight. The soundtrack was great, the story intrigued and the young actors amazed by being actually good. Such an easy watch, you can (and probably will) do it in a day
It's Always Sunny in Philidelphia Season 11
TV's longest running show that no one watches, Always Sunny showed that shows can actually go on as long as they want as long as there is still genuine creativity involved. In a season that had a POV episode and took time to spoof a French philosopher, Always Sunny showed that they have no lack in creativity and may not for quite some time.
Daredevil Season 2
The most polarising season of the show yet, Daredevil Season 2 was for me, the best show Marvel have put on Netflix yet. More action, more legal intrigue and the introduction of the best character yet, The Punisher, make this season one to watch.
Better Call Saul Season 2
While not yet reaching the heights of Breaking Bad, its prequel series is still fantastic. There's hints of action but this is a character drama through and through and that's why it is so great that the characters we have are so interesting and well written.
Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt Season 2
I'm just happy Tina Fey is back on TV, I will watch pretty much anything from here. Fortunately, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt is never anything but an easy watch being a genuine ray of comedic sunshine in an era when comedy has become much darker. Plus, Titus Andromedon continues to be one of the greatest characters on TV.
The People VS O.J. Simpson
Ryan Murphy has done great job on the cheesy but wonderful Scream Queens but The People VS O.J. Simpson actually exceeds his usual "bad in a good way" wheelhouse to be one of the most compelling shows of the year, despite already knowing the verdict.
The Night Manager
One of the most stylish miniseries in years, The Night Manager did everything right. Tom Hiddleston is confident and sexy (earning the show the title of "The Sex Manager" from Britain's mums), Hugh Laurie is somehow a despicable figure and the shot composition, especially for a TV show, is perfect, every single time.
11.22.63
An underappreciated show, this Steven King adaptation gives James Franco the challenge of going back in time to stop the death of John F Kennedy. Sure, the ending underwhelms, but the rest of the show was a very entertaining and easy to watch thrill ride.
Fleabag Season 1
One of the more acclaimed shows of the year, Fleabag did the rare thing: had a rude female star who wasn't just disgusting for the sake of being disgusting. Yet another show that slides right into the tragic comedy trend that many of the shows on the list occupy, Fleabag was rude but also profound. Also, the bizarre cold open in episode two of passengers on the tube singing Sail isn't to be missed.
Atlanta Season 1
Atlanta is a drama/comedy by Donald Glover (my hero Troy from Community) about the rap community in Atlanta. It is also one of the more surreal shows of the year, featuring a black Justin Bieber (the character never address this), an invisible car and a black guy who thinks he's a middle aged white man. It doesn't hurt that the show is also incredibly funny.
That's all for the un-ranked shows, here are the ones I really fell in love with this year, complete with a number and more words.
7. Westworld Season 1
If you've been reading the blog for a while, you know that I just have no interest in Game of Thrones. What Westworld did that is so special is it took most of the tropes and techniques that GoT often uses but made me actually love them. This is a sprawling epic, only with sci-fi instead of fantasy and it will try and confuse you. There are times when you need to just take a step back and soak in what you've seen to be able to appreciate it. Moving past that though, what Westworld is is a show with one of the strongest ensembles on TV, a labyrinthine but ultimately rewarding plot and great twists on modern songs as the soundtrack. Get into it before it gets spoiled for you.
6. Lovesick Season 2
The interesting thing about Lovesick is that it has made one of my best of TV lists before in 2014, only back then, it was known as Scrotal Recall. I hadn't watched the first season when it made the list, the name was just incredible. Anyway, due to the name, many people didn't watch it, Channel 4 cancelled it, Netflix brought it back with a new name and it's amazing. The show manages to capture the difficulty of being young and having relationships, be they friends or partners, and how awful it is. The lines get crossed and it is often incredibly sad but it's also truly hilarious. I need another season of this show but with the 14 episodes we have now, there's a lot of joy to be had.
5. Preacher Season 1
It makes me angry how much Preacher has been widely overlooked this year because I think it's one of the strongest and most confident first seasons of a show I've ever seen. Preacher is a story of faith and supernatural elements in a small, God fearing town in America but it's also action packed, very gory and incredibly funny. Dominic Cooper shines as Jesse Custer, the Preacher with no faith, although he actually ends up being eclipsed by Joseph Gilgun's Cassidy, an Irish vampire who hates just about everything and everyone. If you've missed out on the adventures of Jesse, Tulip and Casidy, go back and watch them, ready for a second season that will hopefully raise the stakes even more than this one did.
4. House of Cards Season 4
House of Cards had a good third season but it felt like a stumble compared to the rest of show. With that in mind, it brings me great pleasure to say that season four could be the shows strongest one yet. Kevin Spacey continues to show that his role as Frank Underwood could be his defining one, even in a career as strong as his. It remains one of the greatest parts of the show, trying to work out if Frank is in total control or trying to see when he is really getting screwed over. Robin Wright is certainly putting in career best work here as the fantastic Claire Underwood, who this season had to cope with difficult family life, but Wright has also stepped up to directing and managed to create some of the greatest episodes of the season, maybe even the show. There were plenty of shocks this season, including the "return" of some beloved characters, but there was also a lot of in depth character development. My biggest worry is that with the loss of showrunner Beau Willimon, the show may not return to these heights.
3. Bojack Horseman Season 3
Since I accidentally discovered it three years ago, I have been a silent champion of Bojack Horseman, the most depressing comedy on TV. Season 2 dealt with a lot of depressing issues but this season went even deeper with Bojack on the awards circuit for the movie he always wanted to make. In the first three lines alone here, I've mentioned nothing but depression but the show genuinely can be so much more. Obviously, it's a comedy and it does that well, perfectly skewering the awards season that we are rattling towards right now. This season though, there was a real shock in an almost totally dialogue free episode that was a thing of genuine beauty and actually really moved me. Such is this show. It is incredibly original and very dark, examining depression better than any other show I've seen, but will still insist on having a host literally called "A Ryan Seacrest Type" and parodying Mad Max with spaghetti strainers
2. Black Mirror Season 3
With the amount of coverage I've given Black Mirror this year, it should not be remotely shocking to find Black Mirror so high up on my list. For a start, with this season, the number of episodes nearly doubled and more Black Mirror is a fantastic thing. On the note of number of episodes though, the raised amount of episodes to work with gave show creator Brooker (my absolute idol) much more space to play around with ideas, concepts and genres. Season 3 was a season where we had a Meow Meow Beens type episode, a haunted house thriller from director of the surprise delight 10 Cloverfield Lane and an episode that was neither futuristic, nor depressing. There were the lowest of lows (thematically, although this season also produced one of the shows weaker episodes) and the highest of highs, with San Junipero being one of my favourite single episodes of TV that I have ever seen. It's what makes Black Mirror great; there are episodes for everyone to love and with the batch that season 3 added, that has never been more true.
1. Planet Earth 2
Morally, this was the only answer for best show of the year, although it goes deeper than that. Planet Earth 2 is definitely the very best thing I watched all year. It captured this extreme and natural beauty of the world we live in, in ways that were new and exciting. I don't particularly like nature documentaries but each moment of each episode grabbed me. There was the swimming sloths, the alligator vs the jaguar and the already iconic racer snakes chasing the lizards, one of the greatest moments of TV that I have ever watched. This show also deserves major credit for proving that event television and the water cooler moments were not over, as many critics will tell you. Planet Earth 2 was a show you had to watch live because you had to talk about it with the rest of the nation. It was also a rare TV show that was actually nice waiting a week between episodes for. It made each episode special and that's ignoring how special they are anyway. Basically, if you didn't watch Planet Earth 2, you're a monster who wants the earth to die and you deserve that fate because it could be the greatest documentary ever made.
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